Jointed wheel-tread.



No. 887,100. PATB'NTED MAY 12, 1908. L. T. KNOWLES.

JOINTED WHEEL BREAD. APPLIGATION FILED NOV.29,.1907.

. following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable sense LOUIS r. KNOWLES, or MINNEAPoLIaMINNEs TA.

.romrnn WHEEL-TREKD.

Specification of Letters Patent iatented. May 12. ions Application filed November 29, rain. Serial no. assess.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Loin's'T. Knownes, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and- State of Minnesota, have invented certain: new and useful Im 7I()V6111I1t$ in Jointed VVheel-T reads and do hereby declare the others skilled in the art to which it apperi tains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to vehicle wheels and 1 has for its object to provide an improved tread therefor whereby the draft of the vehil ole is reduced-and the wheel is better adapted l-or section of one of the treads will: a

town over soft and sandy roads. To the above ends the invention consists of I the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the 2 claims.

In; the accompanying drawings which illusl l trate the invention, like characters indicate -'like parts throughout the 'several'views.

i that embrace; the res ective rims 3, and; the former of which 'wor in-thespace between or tread sections 5 in proper working posibelt chain. The links 5 are provided with in Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a l- View in side elevation, showing the wheel prol vided with the im iroved tread. Fig.2 is a I view of the wheel .in edge elevation, withj some parts broken away and some parts sec- 1 tioned; and Fi 3-is a horizontal section,' taken on the line acac of Fig. 1. g The Wheel, which may be made in various sizes and designs, as shown comprises a hub 1, radial spokes 2 and a pair of concentric laterally spaced rims 3, which parts are rigidly connected. The spokes 2 are arranged in laterally spaced pairs and, as shown, are tied together near their outer extremities, but a considerable distance inward from the rims 3, by metal tie plates 4 shown as riveted thereto. Each run 3 is provided with a loosely mounted sectional tread made up of q'uite long and flat links 5, connected by hinged joints 6, much in the manner of a link side and outside flanges 7 and 8, respectively,

the two rims The outside-flanges 8,, while not absolutely necessary are desirable 'as they very greatly assist inholding the links tions on the respective wheel rims.

There must be suffioient slack in the two pair of jointed sectional chain-like treads "tot, permit the two lower.- tread sections to occupy alined or horizontal; positions, as shown f in Fig l. I tFurtherfr. more, the links or sections of the one trees must be staggered or joffset circumferentiall'y oi the wheel, so that their joints lag; auditor, maintain the two treads in such reativ'e ad' 6!. justinent, certain of the sections of the two treads are flexibly connected by severai, shown two, thin links 9 pivotelly attached tell; the inner flanges 7 of the adjacent sections or. the twotreads. The joints of the two treads are lappedor. oilset as above stated, so that the lowe inltj overlap the pivot joint of the two iii sections of the other tread which into horizontal or flat positions, as see it REE. Fig. 1. This ver greatly increases the ability of the comp ete wheel tread to W. stand sinking into soft ground. Otherwise" stated, the wheel always rests upon the no "a termediate ortion of some one of the tread sections am never entirely upon the joint between the tread sections. The ivheel above described has been found efficient in actual, ractic-e. It is capable-of 89% large range of modification and of variationin use ranging from wheehbarrows tomato mobiles and heavy trucks. It is especially ado itcd for the latter use.

Vi hat [,claim is: 852' 1. The combination with a Wheel having a divided or split rigid rim, of a pair oi jointed sectional treads Working on said wheel rim with slack or )lay, and means holding said treads with their joints circumferentially. 90

' offset or lapped, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a wheel having laterally spaced concentric ri id rims, of a treads Working on said rims and having retaining flanges work- 95, ing between said rims, and at least one link yieldingly connecting said 'two treads and holding the same with their joints ci'rcumf ferentiall oflset or lapped, substantiallyas described? In testimony whereof'I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. r

LOUIS T. KNUWLES:

Witnesses M. E. Rowe's, Hi D. T can. 

